West Park Cultural Center

West Park does great work in the community, giving children exposure to the arts and sciences that they would not normally have. At little to no cost. Wish more people took advantage of all that they have to offer.

I have been associated with west park cultural for over 5 years and it has been nothing but exceptional. The Dance Logic and Coding program has helped so many kids learn the basics of computer programming. From this program out past students have changed majors to technology and have become bright stars in their academic pursuit of a four year degree.

As new kids enter the program, the teachings of dance and basic life lessons from some of our past students have helped the new students realize there is a place for them to excel and become more than they could ever imagine. Their faces light up when they are taught that they can make an exceptional living with an advanced career. It is a wonderful program and this non-profit is excellent at showcasing this.

The West Park Cultural Center provides great programs in the arts and the exposure for children to be well rounded individuals. My son enjoyed the photography and poetry classes, as well as the summer camp where he was able to interact with his peers. The staff and the leadership at West Park are exceptional!

West Park continues to exceed expectations with its invigorating and cutting-edge service delivery to the underserved West Park community of Philadelphia and beyond. The technology and skills that this non-profit is teaching adolescent girls, has continued to engage the community and prepare them for a better future. I wish I could give West Park 10 stars!

West Park Cultural Center is a diamond in the rough located in the heart of West Philadelphia. The excellent enrichment programs include DanceLogic, Guitar, Visual Arts, and the Spring Festival every year brings the community together with diverse entertainment, artisans, and cultural activities for all ages. This is an excellent nonprofit organization enriching the lives of our community. They partner with neighborhood schools, universities, and cultural centers.

Excellence is the standard of this organization and the camp!

My son is 10 years old and he enjoyed his first year at the camp he said he wish it was longer. The staff is great love the environment I would most definitely bring my son back and maybe even bring my 6 year old this time. I would also recommend this camp to those who I know who will benefit from this program.

West Park Cultural Center is an incredible organization dedicated to providing quality amd affordable Art Programs through partnerships with local teaching artists as well as local organizations.

My journey with West Park Cultural Center began over 13 years ago when I first attended he West Park Arts Fest. I then signed up to volunteer with the organization. What was meant to be a short-term commitment quickly turned into a deep, lasting connection. I fell in love with the organization's mission, the energy of the community, and the incredible impact that arts and education programs were having on children and families.

Since that initial experience, I’ve had the privilege of growing with West Park Cultural Center, eventually becoming the Communications Manager. I’ve seen firsthand the difference this organization makes—not just in our community, but in my own family as well.

My children have participated in several of West Park’s programs, and I’ve watched them flourish academically and artistically. Their involvement in the arts has positively impacted their academic performance, boosting their confidence, creativity, and self-expression. The programs at West Park don’t just teach skills; they nurture the whole person, encouraging growth in every aspect of life.

What stands out most to me is the sense of belonging and support that West Park provides. It’s more than just an organization; it’s a community where every individual is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. The dedicated staff and volunteers are passionate about what they do, and it shows in the outcomes. Its truly a family.

Working with West Park Cultural Center has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to an organization that is making such a profound impact on our community, and I’m excited to continue being part of its growth and success for years to come.

If you’re looking for an organization that truly makes a difference, I wholeheartedly recommend West Park Cultural Center. It’s a place where creativity thrives, potential is unlocked, and lives are transformed.

I attended a closing event for the camp last year for my kids and neices and I was very impressed. The campers made eco friendly boardwalk games and instruments. I could not believe they put so much together in just a matter of weeks. Hoping my new granddughter geta to experience it too.

My name is Ian. I loved learning photography here! I learned how to create effects in cool photos

One of the best nonprofits in our Tristate area !!

This was my son's first year attending West Park Cultural Center. He really enjoyed himself! They provided a space where kids can really grow into themselves. As a first-time parent, I was nervous about the tuition, but I was glad we qualified for a scholarship. The staff here are amazing and knowledgeable in their craft. West Park Cultural Center is a wonderful center everyone must experience!

Summer of 2023 was my 10 y/o granddaughter 1st year. She enjoyed the camp activities. I enjoyed the performance at end of program. Plan to attend next summer.

West Park has great opportunities for the youth! My children were engaged and enjoyed the program.

What an amazing nonprofit organization! In a community with few organizations focused on a diverse arts education, West Park shines as THE organization where kids, students, and families can be introduced to the arts and grow an appreciation and skill in a variety of artistic disciplines - from performing arts like music and dance, to applied arts like photography and sculpture. What an incredible service to the community! Thank you West Park for all you all do for the Philadelphia community!

I’ve been lucky to be a part of the danceLogic program from the start.
The program has opened the eyes for many young ladies to dance and coding.
The dance and coding classes are challenging, but each class is teaching and showing how the young ladies can excel mentally and physically.

The physical side of danceLogic will last a lifetime showing how exercise is beneficial to your body and mind.

Coding teaches the basics of programming. Students who become proficient can use these skills to learn more advanced coding languages.

DanceLogic is the best combination of learning dance and coding.

I have had the pleasure of being a dance instructor with danceLogic for a year now, and I'm so proud to be continuing my share of the reach and impact of this program. The West Park cultural center is so dedicated to the enrichment and education of this city's children. And in the arts and STEM programs, you see the students find interests they might not have sought before. All in all it is a wonderful community to be apart of!

My son had a great experience at camp and he’s looking forward to going there’s next summer

WPCC has developed a strong footprint in the West Parkside area, helping to bring programming that has truly enriched the community!

I have been working with WPCC for one year now, and have been so proud to be part of this organization! Being able to adapt and serve our community throughout the many stages of the pandemic has been a challenge that has yielded lots of fruit. I'm excited to see what we do next and who will join our community!

I attended the West Park Arts Fest on my first day visiting Philadelphia and it was amazing! What a great way to see the heart of what West Philly is about... the arts and culture there were of great variety and I enjoyed watching the dancers and listening to the local bands. Thank you and please keep doing things like this!

My wife works for this organization, so I've gotten to see it first-hand for a year now. The programs are creative and educational, and I've really appreciated all they've done to engage kids and youth throughout the virtual school year. I am excited to see what else they have in store for the community as this year proves to be just as difficult as last.

WPCC provides an invaluable service to the community!

A wonderful organization with great creative programming.

I grew up attending West Park Cultural Center programs for my entire childhood. From summer camp to after school arts programs and as got older volunteering, West Park Cultural Center was a influential part of my childhood. Because of theses programs I have a love of the arts, gained leadership skills , and was given many networking opportunities. West Park Cultural Center was a critical part of the community when I was growing up and now as an adult I'm so happy when I return home to see how it has grown and expanded. I'm looking forward to one day bringing my future children back to Philadelphia so the can get the amazing West Park Cultural Center experience I had!

I have been with West Park Cultural Center for about 5 years. I have enjoyed being a member of the board. Students have been exposed to creative activities such as dance logic, ceramics and film making, the Arts Fest is every 2nd Saturday in June is very entertaining for the Parkside neighborhood. It provides access to the Arts.

Over the past year or so I have heard such great things about WPCC and it's programs. Once I checked them out I knew that I wanted to play a bigger role in what WPCC offers the community that I live in and serve. Now as I serve on the board and have seen how the organization has pivoted to accomodate for the restrictions that he pandemic has placed on us, it makes me proud that I made the decision to join West Park Cultural Center. I see great things in our future and the future of those we serve.

I watched the online concert for this non-profit a month ago and I was so impressed with all they had to offer to our youth. dance, computers, art, photography, ceramics and you can tell that the staff really cares for these kids and the neighborhood as well, and just want to see them grow. Ive been to the west park arts fest but never knew west park cultural center had so much going on, even during COVID, they are doing online classes. They didnt miss a beat. anything for our children and community. thank you

I have been working with West Park Cultural for over a decade. I really love the organization, the staff and the programming and I’m happy to be a part of the family. The Arts are an important part of a child’s education and life. Im thankful for West Park Cultural and what they offer to our community. Especially our youth.

West Park Cultural center is a well kept secret. My grandchildren has benefit from attending Camp Gingko, after school programs and dance logic. Their staff is awesome and Ms. Betty is five stars. All of their programs are planned and geared to develop the children to become independent thinkers while exploring their creative talents. Thank you!!

My goddaughters attend an unusual program at West Park in dance and coding. Very forward thinking content; dedicated staff.

West Park Cultural Center provides unique opportunities that are accessible to various communities of youth. They create safe & brave spaces that foster creativity, confidence, and allow young folks to step into their lights as artists in the world. Thanks WPCC!

LOVE West Park Cultural Center! They have adapted beautifully to the pandemic circumstances, keeping the safety of the children, their families, as well as staff and volunteers as the foremost concern. They encourage and lift up their program participants, with one participant even going on to become a teacher of one of the most popular WPCC courses Video Game Coding. Every participant I've talked about West Park Cultural Center with has been so exceptionally enthusiastic about their experience, and alumni recall their WPCC time so fondly! This is a hidden gem of a nonprofit.

The Dance logic program is amazing!! The continued involvement (virtually) during this pandemic is great!!

This organization is a hidden gem in Philly. I attended their West Park Arts Fest this past summer and had a great time. They had a festival that was free to get into, family friendly entertainment, not too adult, not too kiddish, but just right and I got to see a concert for FREE. They had activities for adults and children all day long, which was also free. The staff and everyone who had on a red shirt was very helpful, pleasant and greeted you with a smile. There was no drama and I really enjoyed myself. Nothing like being able to hang in the park and have a great time. I don't know how they do such a great event for free each year but the community appreciates it

I have enjoyed volunteering for the West Arts Fest for two years. The festival is diverse with entertainment, vendors displaying multiple talents and goods for sale, and great food vendors with dietary options. One thing that stands out is the festival is very family oriented. It is a great, fun filled, cultural day out. I am looking forward to participating as a volunteer.

Amazing Organization!
I participated in the West Park Arts Fest as a vendor and the level of commitment to delivering a first rate experience for everyone involved is unmatched. The staff was friendly, organized, willing to help me in any way, and cared deeply about my vendor experience. As far as the festival itself, it was entertaining, diverse, well-rounded and just an enjoyable experience for all ages. I love this organization and I can’t wait to be involved next year!

The West Park Cultural Center is an amazing and beneficial part of the Philadelphia community. I worked as a volunteer for the West Park Arts Fest for the past two years and was able to participate in the wonderful events of the day. It was both an educational and entertaining.

West Park Cultural Center has great exceeded my expectations for my children. They were exposed to local artist and were lovingly taught lessons to inspire them. The summer camp program was amazing and they can't wait to join West Parks Cultural Center's camp for next year.

This was my daughters first year attending West Park Cultural Center. She absolutely loved it! They provided her the ability to express her creativity through various artistic outlets. As a first time parent I was nervous about my child being with unfamiliar individuals. The staff here are amazing and truly care about your children. West Park Cultural Center is a great asset to the Community!

West Park Cultural Center changed my life for the better. I always enjoyed art and this program helped me strengthen my artistic abilities. In addition to that, West Park Cultural Center has taught (and continues to teach) me important life skills/lessons. Also the connections you make there will impact your life positively.

My daughter Lauryn Dorsett has been with the West Park Cultural Ctr. for 3 years & she absolutely LOVES it. She started with dance logic / coding. She has learned so much from both & the volunteers truly give their all to the kids. They are supportive, patient & kind. They don't just teach them, but instill in them the importance of higher education & social skills. This year she joined camp Ginkgo. She was so excited. It was another great opportunity. She learned new skills that will prepare her for her 1st job in the near future & it was something fun for her to do rather than be home all summer because there aren't many places to send teenagers during summer break.
Thank you so much for all of the opportunities offered to my daughter & all children. This is truly a GREAT organization.

Robin Dorsett / Mom

I have been working at West Park Cultural Center for the last several months. They are a wonderful organization with critical educational programming.

I love the West Park Cultural Center and dance logic program. I've learned so much about coding and how dance is related to that. My instructors are great and really care about us. If we need extra help they are there and they really make class fun. I am learning so much.

I am on the Board of the West Park Cultural Center and have been engaged in the community since 2008. WPCC provides wonderful resources for children and families that may never get opportunities to participate in arts- based programs as there are often financial barriers. It's amazing to see all of the wonderful program offerings.

great opportunities for children of all ages and families. i look forward to working with the organization in various capacities.

Outstanding programming with focus on STEM and team empowerment

Working with danceLogic has been a great experience.
The combination of dance and programming was an excellent idea.

The West Park Cultural Center is an excellent and beloved arts institution in the Parkside neighborhood. They offer a great range of programs and are deeply rooted in the community. We are honored to partner with them on a number of initiatives, including the annual West Park Arts Fest. They are a resource and a haven for local children and a great voice for positive neighborhood change.

West Park Cultural Center is a great neighborhood-based organization, providing critical access to the arts through a range of programs and a fantastic annual arts festival that is both a local and regional draw.

I am proud to represent an organization that uses the arts as a wider world teaching tool. West Park Cultural Center utilizes almost every dollar raised to provide quality after school and summer programming for children and arts and literacy programs for adults.

West Park Cultural Center is a great asset in our community. Its an example of community pride and empowerment!

WPCC provides invaluable arts education and services for youth and adults in Philadelphia. I have worked at the summer camp, Camp Gingko, for three years, and have seen students blossom and find confidence in their creative voice thanks to these programs. West Park Cultural Center is an organization that not only community oriented, but also has strong relationships to individuals and families of those communities.

I have watched with great pride the work of West Park Cultural Center in my community. The organization provides children excellent arts programming at low and no cost if a family is unable to pay their very modest fees. I have also enjoyed their West Park Arts Fest that happens every year and appreciate the cultural diversity it offers.

The West Parker Cultural Center has served the children in and out of our community for many years. West Park currently has a professional ceramic instructor who teaches the children how to create beautiful art at the after school program which takes place at the School of the Future. During Summer months The West Park Cultural Center holds a camp that has given many children an opportunity to travel to New York to see beautiful plays, enjoy amusement Parks and more.West Park Cultural also provides scholarships for children who's families could not afford for them to attend summer camp.

The students from the ACE program at Martha Washington enjoys CERAMICS that WPCC offers every Tuesdays and Thursdays.

West Park Cultural Center uses arts and culture as a central tool in programs that help youth tap their creative and academic potential. And as a steward of the organization, and past participant in their programs, I know that each and every contributed dollar is spent directly on the mission and delivering programs that make impact on West Philadelphia.

The West Park Cultural Center is an amazing organization that exposes the youth to the arts, a variety of arts for low-cost, sometimes even free. With so many programs that benefit art being cut, it's great to know an organization like this thrives within my neighborhood. Every staff member is great, no matter how much or how little you interact with them, they are welcoming and put art first!

A wonderful organization that truly goes all out for their community. We work really hard to raise the funds for our free annual Arts Fest that is growing larger every year. In addition, we have created new partnerships to expand the services and experiences of the community we serve.

The West Park Cultural Center is an organization that I am truly pleased to have worked with. It is one of the few organizations of this type that reaches children and families in the community where they live. It seems that all too often children in underserved communities are often left out. This is not the case with West Park Community Center, here all children are served. Keep up the good work!

West Park Cultural Center has provided outstanding arts and education programs for children and youth for 14 years with amazing results. I am proud to have this organization in West Philadelphia.

West Park offers the under served youth of our city a wonderful opportunity that would otherwise less likely be afforded to them, and for that and the due diligence to service youth and family in the community i nominate West Park Cultural Center a 5 star Great Non Profit

West Park is all about celebrating learning, as individuals and as a community!

The West Park Cultural Center is an organization that I am truly pleased to be involved with. It is an organization that reaches children and families in the community where they live. West Park seeks to expose their clients to the wonders of the arts, education and cultural enrichment. For a small program they have a large impact on the community and its children. The West Park Cultural center runs after school programs, senior programs, children summer camps and they host a large summer festival every year in the community called the West Park Arts Fest. This is a good program to get your children involved in.

West Park Cultural Center truly works with the West Park community in all aspects from the very young to the young at heart. Conducting several projects annually, WPCC fills many of the blanks left in education, arts, humanities by other entities.

The West Park Cultural Center is an awesome organization and provides services for my community in the arts and culture. My favorite is the summer camp. This past summer they created a still motion video that was awesome. The children learned and participated in the making of the video. This organization exposes children to the arts with hands on experience. With the west park arts fest they get to learn about different cultures and see the live performances.

This unbelievably affordable program, from caring staff members Betty, Donna, Janice & Dominick, has been extremely vital in my daughter's lives. Their Ceramics classes, led by the relentlessly creative Ms. Janice, has become necessary for my children throughout the school year. I can't stop recommending this program & the summer camp to family, friends, co-workers, fellow school parents & passerby erst who are in search of creative outlets for their children. These folks are continuously committed to sparking our children's imagination through art & music exploration. We adore & thank them!!! Peace

West Park Cultural Center is a wonderful camp for inner city kids. As a mother and teacher in this day and age I think there is nothing better than having your children outside in nature all day playing, using their imagination and learning under the sky. This is a wonderful Art camp set outdoors surrounded by woods and gardens. Campers explore many art concepts and natural materials. A perfect place for children to be children learning through play. Campers also get to escape the cities long humid summers swimming in an Olympic size pool several days a week if their not exploring Philadelphia's many museums and cultural attractions.

I volunteer for the Adult Basic Education class and it truly is an exceptional and amazing course. The head teacher also not only knows her material extremely well, but she provides an accepting, non-judgmental, educational, open environment for students of all ages. This class is like one big family who supports and learns from each other every week. West Park Cultural Center provides assistance and support for each of the adult students AND volunteers. They are always very welcoming, thankful, and truly appreciative for my volunteer services and for their students. The West Park Cultural Center is made up of individuals who really care for the community and go way beyond to help as many people as they can.

I volunteer from time to time with Dr. Pat helping out with the adult basic education class. This center provides not only a place for older individuals to socialize but also a plethora of opportunities for them to continue to grow and develop through their later years. Furthermore, this center accepts not only older individuals but also supports those younger folks who are willing to learn and better themselves. Overall, a great place to volunteer and grow!

West Park puts on a really nice festival for the community, and runs a great after school program for youth.

This is the best organization I have ever served on. They create miracles.

I have worked with WPCC for the last two years as an instructor for their music recording program, and have nothing but excellent things to say of the organization. The program I worked with has been able to help several students record and produce their own music, share their artistic expressions with their communities and prepare for further pursuits in recording arts.

In addition to their after school programming, the annual West Park Arts Fest they organize succeeds in providing world-class arts and entertainment without losing sight of the goal of cross-cultural inclusion and expression. It is for this excellence that they remain one of the premiere cultural/philanthropic organizations in Philadelphia.

I have been taking ceramic classes at West Park for a year. It is an excellent program with a hard working instructor and volunteers. Classes are very organized and frequent firing schedules promptly visualize student's efforts. Specially at the time Art Education is cut off at many schools, I highly recommend this program for youth as well as adults.

It is a great event for both the kids participated the program and those who came as audiences. My kids involved in the Chinese yoyo performance. They got a great chance to demonstrate a very ancient Chinese toy which can help to develop body coordination yet very fun to play. It is very meaningful nowadays since the technology dragged all kids to the tiny screen of the electronic devices. I am glad to see a lot of interests from the audience especially from young kids. West Park Festival provided a great opportunity for community kids to explore a wild variety of performing arts. Please keep this culture and do it again next year. It is a great event for both the kids participated the program and those who came as audiences. My kids involved in the Chinese yoyo performance. They got a great chance to demonstrate a very ancient Chinese toy which can help to develop body coordination yet very fun to play. It is very meaningful nowadays since the technology dragged all kids to the tiny screen of the electronic devices. I am glad to see a lot of interests from the audience especially from young kids. West Park Festival provided a great opportunity for community kids to explore a wild variety of performing arts. Please keep this culture and do it again next year.

West Park Cultural Center gives young people a chance to develop their visual and performing arts skills and share their talents with the community. This fills a unique need at a time when public school budgets are being slashed and arts programs are being eliminated.

As an instructor for West Park, I am delighted to participate in the programs that provide a sorely needed place for people of all ages to share the joy of learning something new. Every June, the community then gathers at an amazing Arts Festival to show their talents and encourage others to participate. For many it is their first opportunity to perform before a receptive and supportive audience.
I am proud to be a part of West Park Cultural Center and its work supporting the community.

I am writing to recommend the West Park Cultural Center and Patty Bulack's work for that organization, a group that was a great partner for a large scale project I ran in 2014. I work for Shakespeare in Clark Park and Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, both performance based non-profits in Philadelphia. Shakespeare in Clark Park has presented a free, outdoor Shakespeare production in West Philadelphia for the past nine years. This year for our production of Henry IV, we invited one hundred volunteers to be in the battle scenes, getting a front row seat to the professional artistic process and being part of a performance that will be seen by thousands of people.

Patty Bulack, as a community liaison and representative of West Park Cultural Center, helped to develop the performance piece, connect us with interested youth, and spread the word about opportunities for people to be involved. We worked with many partners, and her advice, commitment, and vast and diverse network was unparalleled.

We hosted our "warrior photo booth" with costumes and props at many festivals and fairs throughout the summer as we recruited these volunteers. One of our more successful days was at the West Park Arts festival, which was not only well organized, highly attended, and in a fantastic location, it has that intangible energy of community and celebration that only exists when committed individuals band together to do something truly serving a larger community. We had a fantastic time, and look forward to the opportunity to partner again!

West Park Cultural Center has provided excellent musical services for learners at The School of The Future. I had a pleasure collaborating with members of their organization.

Incredible number of participants--what a huge endeavor. Gives opportunities for so many people of all ages to perform. Very enjoyable day.

It was amazing, and I know many people in the event enjoyed it.  The young people in our group enjoyed themselves, and the mission of the event: engaging youth with high quality experiences of art was fully fulfilled , our team very appreciated this
unique opportunity you provided to us.

I am so impressed with how many programs West Park Cultural Center offers and how many people whose needs they meet on such a slim budget. WPCC is an organization with after school and summer camp programs for children, a performing arts program that brings literature to life for high school students, an adult literacy program, a program that teaches English comprehension for students trying to enter into Philadelphia Community College but who cannot pass the English comprehension exams, and a stunningly beautiful day of arts and culture for the whole community. Their programs reach and touch the lives of 2,000 or more people a year, and all on a budget that is less than the administrative budgets for organizations that reach far fewer people -- less than $100,000 a year. But not only is WPCC able to provide so many different programs, they are also able to demonstrate positive results -- students in their programs have met AYP (Advanced Yearly Progress) while their classmates do not, young adults are able to pass college admission exams and enroll in school, and children are now more engaged in school with improved grades. It is a safe place for donors to give their money!

I've been working with WPCC for the past 7 years, designing their graphics and promotional materials. I love these people, they're the most dedicated bunch of educators, community members and activists I've ever met.

I recently worked with the West Park Cultural Center, teaching visual arts in their Ginkgo Academy Summer Program. The level of commitment and dedication I witnessed there was truly inspiring. From the director to the volunteers from the community, there were so many passionate adults concerned with helping these young artists. I've never experienced such a unique program--set in beautiful Fairmount Park, it was a delight to see the children learn and grow from the surrounding nature. Leading the kids in art projects, working with my fellow instructors and camp directors, I felt that each day was a step towards success in the development of every child. I think about those friends all the time, and know that they had a truly memorable and impactful summer at Ginkgo Academy.

I first got involved with the West Park Cultural Center about three years ago. I was a new transplant to the Parkside Community and found them hosting a large outdoor Arts Festival. They had music, dance, acrobatics, art, drummers and much much more. I was very excited to see the arts alive in the Parkside area. I asked a few questions and found out that all of this was hosted by the West Park Cultural Center. This was not just a one shot deal; this is a group that is deeply imbedded in the Parkside Community. They sponsor GED classes, basic education classes, computer, art and music classes and they run a six week Arts camp for kids from the community during the summer. And let’s not forget their biggest event, the West Park Arts Fest, which is an annual event that is held every June in the Parkside community. From my experiences with the organization I’m certain that the WPCC truly has a positive effect on the residents of Parkside. Well Done!

I worked with this non-profit as a teaching artist the past few years. They truly care about the students and strive to not only provide them with safe, fun, and edifying after school activities, but they even find ways of enriching daytime classrooms with the arts in ways that help the students to achieve more than they would have otherwise! One amazing example of this is when they hired actors to attend an english class and perform scenes from the book that the class was currently reading! This organization is wonderful, and they will continue to inspire, and positively change the lives of young people, for as long as they are in operation!

The West Park Cultural Center has an amazing program that I have benefited from directly. As a former student of the program I can definitely say that being apart of West Park has changed my life for the better. I received free music lessons and arts education while enrolled in the program through a partnership that they had and still currently have with my old high school. West Park was instrumental in my decision to pursue a career in music and since my graduation from the program I have been selected to be on the board of directors. I am currently a working musician and i attribute most of my current success to what I learned while enrolled in WPCC's program.

My life has been changed by my involvement with West Park Cultural Center as its current program manager. The strengths of this small but mighty organization are its ability to encourage the growth and creativity of each participant to flourish, and to draw upon the passion and vision of everyone to bring to fruition our mutual goals. We have found many like-minded partners throughout the arts and cultural community In Philadelphia and together have created some of the most satisfying programming ever. We have been able to impact many people through these collaborative efforts, which range from illuminating texts in English classrooms by skillful theater artists dramatizing fictional literature or plays, to allowing student performers to shine on public stages at our annual Arts Fest. The professionals who have joined them on those stages have truly been amazing, both as gifted examples and mentors and have enjoyed sharing themselves with us because of our shared vision. Our work is based on serving and reflecting the community, which is shown by the wonderful mix of ages, races and backgrounds that we serve in our programming. We have provided afterschool arts classes open to all ages and the community, classroom enrichment that reached every student through their English classrooms, and adult education from basic literacy through GED. Best of all, we have actually changed lives and given hope to young people who had doors opened for them that they never even knew existed before we brought them right to the threshold, and invited them to enter. Some of our students were the first in their families to graduate high school, and attend college, and will tell you that they would never have done that without our work.
We believe that art transforms lives, and have had the pleasure of seeing that at work and finding ways to make that happen.

I am proud to be associated with the West Park Cultural Center. As a volunteer, my time with WPCC is well spent and most importantly appreciated.

The West Park Cultural Center is growing community through access to the arts. Thank you founder and director, Betty Lindley for sharing your skills, talent and expertise with families in the West Philadelphia area. Lindley lives in the area and is a stakeholder in the West Park and the Parkside Historic District.

As a stakeholder Lindley has devoted her life to enhancing the lives of others. Thank you Betty for encouraging an appreciation, understanding and support for the arts.

The staff was very nice and professional. Mu daughter enjoyed the program. She can't wait until next summer!

I found myself in my 40's with a second group of children and very out of the loop. As I searched for a camp for my children to attend, someone in the neighborhood informed me about West Park Culture Center. That was the best infomation that I could have received, not only did my children attend camp they took part in the after scool program, the childrens garden program, music program. My children also recieved scholships which I believe they would not have be able to atten with out it the help. I had lost my job.

As an arts and culture colleague, it has been a joy to work with the West Park Cultural Center for the past three years. West Park Cultural Center is a fantastic, neighborhood-based organization creating a positive impact on the lives of people in its local community and beyond. From after-school workshops for youth, to its annual West Park Arts Festival, the center advances and promotes a vibrant and spirited sense of belonging, a place for making, and a creative oasis for the good of all.

I've been volunteering for West Park as a computer instructor for the past few years and I can say that the West Park Cultural Center is in the business of making a difference in the lives of children and communities where they live. Teaching computer skills to parents, grandparents, and other computer novice has allowed me to meet some wonderful people and pay forward the knowledge of computer technologies. I have grown so much as a result of being affiliated with West Park. Don't just take my word for it, sign up for a class that is offered through West Park and see your horizon expand.

I worked at Camp Ginko this summer as an Artist Counselor. Camp Ginko provides a peaceful, positive environment where campers can share experiences and enjoy learning, away from the stresses of urban life. I had never before experienced a summer camp where 100% of the staff is so thoroughly committed to the campers. West Park Cultural Center fosters a supportive community environment for the campers and staff. As an Artist Counselor, I was able to develop and improve my teaching methods, lessons and activities in a supportive environment.

If you are looking to make a difference, the West Park Cultural Center Volunteer program is a great program to be involved with. The program manager, Ms. Lindley, works closely with the volunteer Coordinator and tutor(s) to ensure all resources are available for the tutor to make an impact or empower adults to succeed and excel in achieving personal and educational goals by learning to read. Volunteering as a tutor here has made a big difference in my approach to teaching and even personal experiences. It has been a life-changing experience for me. I would highly recommend the program. Volunteer tutor, 9/2010 - present.

What a treasure!! My daughter was teaching 2nd grade in and elementary school in West Philly. She wanted to provide a summer camp opportunity for a few of her students that had no summer plans. She and I discovered Camp Ginkgo, a summer program offered by West Part Cultural Center. From day one, we were thrilled with the program which is rich in the arts, dance, music, sports, nature and friendship. The staff is talented, caring and eager for the children to grow in all these ways while having a safe summer. I have supported the camp with scholarships and will continue to do so because I believe in what they are doing in the community.